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One of the stranger stories of 2011 has come to a safer end than many had feared: country singer Mindy McCready and her five-year old son were found yesterday in Heber Springs, Arkansas.

The troubled artist – who is pregnant with twins – had openly refused this week to return five-year old Zander to the care of her mother in Florida, claiming she was set on protecting the child, even if it resulted in jail time.

But David Rahbany, the chief deputy U.S. Marshal in eastern Arkansas, tells CNN McCready and her son were discovered late last night, hiding in the closet of someone presumed to be Mindy’s boyfriend.

“The child appeared to be in good condition when we found him,” Rahbany said.

Zander is in the custody of the Arkansas Division of Children and Family Services and arrangements are being made to send him back to his maternal grandmother.

“We feel sorrow for Zander because he’s traumatized, and for Mindy,” the latter’s mother and stepfather said in a statement. “We just hope she does the right thing from here on out and that this is a wake-up call for her.”